A BATTLE which saw 10 soldiers from Horwich killed and 25 wounded will be remembered tomorrow.

The 100th anniversary of the Battle of Festubert will be marked with an event at the Horwich Heritage Centre from 10am to 1pm, in which contributors will give accounts of the battle, and recount personal details about the men involved.

The battle in France was the first planned night attack of the First World War, and more than 20,000 men died in one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war.

It was also the biggest conflict in which Horwich soldiers were involved during the war.

A new plaque in their honour was recently unveiled outside the Horwich Resource Centre.

About 100 members of the Horwich Territorials had signed up for overseas service as part of the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, and left Horwich barracks, now the Horwich Heritage Centre.

Stuart Whittle, chairman of Horwich Heritage, said: "They left the Horwich Barracks August 6, 1914, to travel to Preston where they joined other companies from Preston, Chorley and Lytham.

"After initial training they all left for France in March 1915 and in May they moved up to the front line.

"The Battle of Festubert was the biggest conflict Horwich soldiers were involved in in the war — 10 were killed, 25 were wounded and a number were classed as missing, presumed dead or captured."

In the regiment as a whole, 26 people killed, 266 were wounded, and 100 were missing, presumed dead.

Sergeant Major Thomas James Edwards, who survived the battle and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his work, sadly died a year after returning to Horwich.

Born in Newton Heath, Manchester in 1883, Thomas and his family moved to Hawksley Street in Horwich when the loco works were being built.

At the age of 14 he had become a blacksmith's striker as an apprentice at the works, but when war came he was determined to join up.

During the battle, Thomas saw many of his comrades fall to their deaths around him after they went over the top from the trenches.

The platoon was soon without a leader after many officers had fell, and he bravely took on the role and gave the order to dig in.

Thomas was waving his right arm, telling the soldiers to move to the right. Later, he said he had felt no pain but saw that his hand was covered in blood.

He kept going for 15 minutes before reinforcements arrived, and he was able to receive medical attention. He later returned to battle action, and was given the DCM award for manoeuvring his company in a way which would they would escape with few casualties.

But a year later after the battle, Thomas, who was unmarried, died at the age of 36 after a period of ill health. His funeral at Horwich Parish Church was conducted with full military honours.

Admission to the event tomorrow is free, and everyone is welcome.